All Alone
by mjchesney
Summary: All Alone is a story about Temari losing everyone she loves and only one ninja can help her through her loss.
1. Chapter 1

**All Alone**

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Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction. Please leave plenty of feedback on what you enjoyed about the story and what could be improved. Depending on how well people like the story might determine if I decide to continue with it.

I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

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 **Chapter 1**

Her life lay around her in ruins. As great sobs wracked her body, her walls of defense began to crumble. She had never cried in the presence of others, but now she was incapable of holding back the tears. Her already shaking legs buckled under the burden she now carried. Collapsing to the ground, all she wanted was to be alone.

All present understood the reason for the girl's tears. She was the sole survivor of her family. Realizing her need to be alone, everyone left and returned to the village save one blonde-haired ninja.

The girl wept more than she ever had. The kunoichi recalled how the only two people she had in her life were ripped away from her. First Kankuro died after fighting Sasori's poison for three days. Then the Akatsuki ripped the tailed-beast out of Gaara, her youngest brother. And once a junchuuriki is separated from its tailed-beast, the host dies.

Temari looked up with tears flowing down her face. She was all alone. She covered her face with her hands and cried even harder. There was no one left. Her parents and siblings were all gone, and she had no friends, only acquaintances of which she knew only through missions.

Anguish and pain coursed through her body. Each wave caused her to weep more. She cursed herself. If only she had been stronger, none of this would have happened. Temari slammed the ground with her fists. "Why?" she screamed. "What did I do to lose those closest to me? Mom and Dad weren't enough, were they? Now my siblings too! Am I so horrible that I am not allowed to cherish anyone?"

The blonde-haired shinobi remained silently hidden. He wanted to let her calm down before he took any action.

Temari's memories continued to torture her. The more she recalled the past, the more she hated herself. She just wanted to die. Life was no longer worth living if there was no one left that cared about her.

She could not take it anymore. With tears pouring from her eyes, she pulled a kunai out of her tool pouch. She gripped the handle so tight it hurt. Her arms extended out in front of her with the blade aimed towards her.

She stayed that way for a few minutes, unable to move. Finally she gathered up her ebbing strength and closed her crying eyes. She reared back. Just as she started to plunge the weapon at her heart, she felt a strong hand grab her left arm while another gripped her right shoulder.

Temari's eyes flew open. She turned her head to the left and looked directly into the deep blue eyes of a leaf ninja with wild blonde hair. Her moist eyes widened. Barely able to speak, Temari slowly whispered, "N..Na...ru...to?"

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I hope you all enjoyed the story this chapter. Please let me know if you liked it.


	2. Chapter 2

**All Alone**

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Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reviewing my story. I didn't expect anyone to really think much of it. Sorry I couldn't post the new chapter until now. I had my wisdom teeth removed, and I have been recuperating from the surgery. I hope you all enjoy chapter two.

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 **Chapter 2**

"N..Na..ru…to?"

Temari couldn't believe her eyes. Here she was mourning the loss of everyone she loved and was about to take her own life when Naruto Uzumaki, of all people, stopped her. She didn't know what to think. He barely knew her. Why would he have stayed to make sure she was alright?

Temari looked down. "Why?" she asked him. "Why did you stop me?"

"I couldn't let you do it," said Naruto. "Watching you cry reminded me of myself a long time ago."

Then she felt something wet hitting the back of her neck. She looked back at Naruto to find him with his head down and tears rolling down his cheeks. Temari's eyes widened. Shocked could not describe her reaction. Here was a boy from another village that knew nothing about her, and yet he was still crying for her.

"It hurts doesn't it?" he said. "The feeling of loneliness. It's like you are bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders. You try to cry out for help, but no one is there to help because you are alone." Naruto let go of her to wipe his tears then sat down beside her. Temari couldn't quit looking at him.

She was speechless. He just described her exact feelings. Was it truly possible for Naruto to understand her situation? Could the number one hyperactive knuckle-headed ninja from the Leaf village really know how she felt? She held back the urge to cry. No matter how she felt, she still didn't want anyone to see her like this.

Naruto studied Temari. He knew what she was going through and wanted to be there for her. He was afraid that at any minute she would burst into tears or attempt to kill herself before he could stop her.

Temari could feel the sadness welling up inside her. She thought again of the last loved-one she had being torn out of her life. Her eyes fell on the kunai still in her left hand. Then something happened she never dreamed would happen. Naruto got up and kneeled in front of her. He took her left hand, gently removed the kunai, and laid it on the ground beside her. Then he looked her right in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry for everything you have had to go through." Then he wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "As long as I'm here, you don't have to be alone."

Temari broke. She could no longer hold back her emotions. Her eyes filled with water. She embraced Naruto, hugging him tightly. She began to wail and sob. Wanting to be as close as possible, she clutched onto his shirt for dear life. Her body shook as each breath brought more tears. The sadness and pain swept through her like an overflowing river of emotion. Temari buried her face into Naruto's chest. She didn't know why, but being this close to him comforted her. She could feel his shirt getting damp but was unable to stop crying.

Naruto held her close. He knew she needed someone to help her through the pain. He knew all too well what it was like dealing with sadness all alone.

After a long time, Temari began to feel exhausted. All the pain and heartache had weighed her down. Everything that she had to go through the past few days had begun to tire her out. As she sat there holding on to Naruto, she fell asleep in the warmth of his arms.

Naruto felt Temari's body relax. He looked down and saw her sound asleep. He knew she needed to rest, so he picked her up and carried her all the way back to the Sand village. Upon arriving, he asked the guards at the front gate where she lived. They were shocked that a ninja from Konoha was carrying a sleeping Temari home. They told him she lived in the Kazekage's manor on the second floor. He thanked them and headed for the mansion his close friend Gaara had been living in.

When he got inside, one of Gaara's assistants directed him to the correct room. Naruto opened the door and closed it shut behind them. He saw her bed and pulled the covers back. Gently he laid her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her.

He looked around the room. It was fairly large compared to his. There was a workstation in one corner where it looked like Temari worked on her signature fan. Purple paint and sturdy looking metal and paper were strewn about. He looked around and spied pictures of people hanging on the wall. He knew the one of the older man and woman had to be her parents. Then he saw the one of Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara, and remembered how one of his closest friends was now dead. He began to softly cry. Gaara, the person he had so much in common with and whom he had experienced so much with, was dead. He could not believe it. Naruto dried his tears and turned to leave. He took one more look at Temari to make sure she was fine.

Naruto's heart skipped a beat, and he froze in his tracks. Temari was beautiful. Never before had Naruto felt or thought this way about a girl. He may have thought Sakura was pretty, but he really only said he liked her so that he wouldn't lose to Sasuke. He studied her face. It reminded him of an angel. Her soft, smooth skin. Her delicate, pink lips. Her long eyelashes and cute nose. Everything about her was breathtaking. Naruto stood there mesmerized. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

As he stared at her, he realized he had forgotten to take off her headband. Carefully Naruto lifted her head and loosened the knot. Then he folded the headband and set it on her workstation. He looked are her again. He had always seen Temari as a tough-as-nails kunoichi that was not to be messed with. He had never even bothered to look at her close enough to even notice her beauty, but now it was all he could do to look away. She really was a stunning woman.

Naruto lost control of himself for a minute. He walked over to the bed, leaned over, and lightly kissed Temari on the forehead. He took one last glance at her, then forced himself to turn away and leave the room.

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I hope you all liked the new chapter. I can't tell if I did as good a job on it. It was harder to write this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you liked or what I could do to improve the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**All Alone**

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Hello everyone! I am extremely sorry that I have not posted the new chapter until now. Shortly after having my wisdom teeth removed I started college. I haven't had a lot of free time to work on this story, and I regret that. I do not know how often I will be able to post chapters, but I do plan to continue writing this story. Thank you for reading the story thus far. Enjoy the new chapter!

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 **Chapter 3**

Temari woke with a start. "Gaara!" She looked around. _Why am I in my room?_ she wondered. Slowly she recollected her dream and remembered the last few days. She recalled Gaara's death and instantly became sorrowful. Then she remembered that she was about to kill herself when… Naruto had stepped in and stopped her. He had cried for her. Then he had wrapped his arms around her and told her that if he was there she didn't have to be alone. She remembered crying and breaking down and clinging to him for dear life. Now she was in her room.

 _What happened?_ she thought _. Did I fall asleep, and if I did, why am I in my room?_ Suddenly she thought _, Did Naruto carry me all the way to my room? Surely not. S_ he glanced down and was shocked to find that she had been tucked into bed. She could feel heat rising in her cheeks. Proud of being a strong kunoichi, Temari found the thought of being carried home asleep in the arms of a ninja from another village very embarrassing. On top of that, that same ninja had carefully put her in bed and pulled the covers over her. She lowered her head into her hands. _He even took my headband off for me!_ She wanted to be angry with Naruto but found that no matter how hard she tried, she just could not get mad at him.

Strangely, Temari felt some urge to talk to the blonde. She had to know why he had stayed behind and consoled her. She flung off her covers and got up. _I should probably take a shower and get changed._

As Temari stepped in the shower, she turned the knob all the way hot. Even though she lived in the desert, Temari hated anything but a hot shower. While she was showering, all she could think about were Naruto's words to her. They kept rolling around in her mind. _"I'm sorry for everything you have had to go through…_ _As long as I'm here, you don't have to be alone."_ Her whole life people had avoided and feared her. Whether it was because she was the brother of Suna's ultimate weapon, or if it was because she was a tough kunoichi that wasn't to be messed with, no one had ever gotten close to her, let alone comforted her. And yet, Naruto had. It baffled her that the normally extremely hyperactive and dense ninja could even feel sympathy at all, much less for someone he barely knew. _I need to talk to him._

Temari finished her shower and donned her normal attire: a short-sleeved black kimono with slits up the sides of the legs and a red sash around the waist, her black sandals and fingerless black gloves, and her signature fan. She picked up her headband and opted to wear it on her neck instead of her forehead. Then she separated her hair into four ponytails. She looked in a mirror to make sure everything was perfect before exiting her room.

Temari had no clue where to start looking for the blonde ninja, so she questioned one of the assistants at the manor if they had seen a blonde-haired ninja.

"Oh, you mean the one that carried you home two days ago?" the assistant asked.

"Two days ago!" exclaimed Temari.

"Yes," replied the assistant, "a blonde ninja from Konoha entered the mansion two days ago carrying you and asked for your room. I directed him to the correct door. After a while, he came out and told me that Miss Temari needed her rest. He said that you had been through a lot and could very well sleep for over a day. I acknowledged his orders and have not bothered you."

Temari was floored. She must have been so mentally and physically exhausted that she slept for two whole days.

"Where is the shinobi now?" she asked, expecting him to be in a hotel nearby.

"Oh, the blonde and his Leaf teammates all left shortly after he brought you home. There was apparently an urgent message from their village. The blonde told me to tell you that he is extremely sorry that he is unable to attend the funeral of Gaara. He said that Gaara was the best friend that he had and and truly wished that he could stay. He left a bouquet of flowers in the flower shop near the manor to put on Gaara's grave."

 _Funeral!_ In Temari's haste to talk to Naruto, she had managed to forget that her brother had been killed. She fought back tears as she relived her younger brother's death. Managing to hold herself together, she asked one more question, "When is the funeral?"

"The funeral is scheduled for tonight at 7:00."

Temari forced a "thank you" before turning around and going back to her room.

Temari carefully closed the door behind her and crumpled to the floor in tears. She pulled her legs to her chest and placed her arms over them with her hands covering her face. The reminder of Gaara's death was almost too much to handle. Her sobs were so great that they shook her whole body. She kept seeing Gaara's body fall from the sky and get picked up by Deidara's bird. Then she saw his lifeless body as a crying Naruto set him on the ground in front of Lady Chiyo.

 _Why did this have to happen? After Gaara had come so far to gain the respect of the villagers that despised him, why did he have to die?_ She recalled everything Gaara had went through. All those people that despised him and attempted to kill him. The cowards that mocked and spit at him. Gaara had finally gained the trust of the entire village just to be murdered by the Akatsuki.

After some time, Temari forced herself to get up and prepare for her brother's funeral. Fighting tears, she searched her closet for her much too used funeral attire. This was the fourth time she would be donning that accursed dress. That dress so black, it seemed to be engulfed with the deaths of her loved ones. As she put the dress on, it felt as if a huge weight were being placed across her shoulders. She looked in the mirror. Her appearance was one of a person that has experienced more than their fair share of grief. She began to tear up again as the dress brought back the memories of everyone that had died. Her mother, her father, Kankuro, and now Gaara. After tonight's funeral, there would be no one else she would ever have to wear this dress for.

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After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally time for Temari to go to Gaara's funeral. On the way to the cemetery, she dropped by a flower shop to purchase some flowers for the grave. When she entered the shop, the shopkeeper greeted her in his usual way.

"Hello Miss Temari!"

"Hello Mr. Moto."

"I am sorry for the loss of your brother Gaara," began Mr. Moto, "He was one of the best Kazekages the Sand has ever had. I know my condolences could never outweigh the burden you must feel right now, so please feel free to ask for my assistance whenever you may need it."

"Thank you for your concern," replied Temari. "It has been very rough dealing with Gaara's death, and I appreciate the way you feel about him. The only request I have is to help me pick out the best bouquet I can to place on his grave."

"I would love to help you, Miss Temari, but someone has already purchased flowers for you to use."

Puzzled, Temari asked, "Who did that? I never asked anyone to order any for me?"

"Let's see. He didn't give his name, but he bought two sets of flowers. He said they were both for you to place on the Kazekage's grave."

Temari was genuinely concerned. _Who could have purchased two bouquets of flowers for me to use at Gaara's funeral?_ Before she could ask another question, the shopkeeper spoke up.

"I almost forgot! He told me to make sure you knew that one set of flowers was for you to use, while the other was for you to use in place of him. Apparently, he was going to be unable to attend the funeral." After saying this, the shopkeeper went to the back of the store. He returned shortly thereafter with two beautiful bouquets.

"These are the best flowers that can be purchased at my little shop. Please take them."

Temari was even more confused. She had no idea who bought these flowers. She took the bouquets from the man and carefully started to walk towards the exit.

"By the way," said Mr. Moto, "the bouquet with the orange and red flowers are supposed to be the set that the man who purchased them was to place on the grave."

Temari stopped in her tracks. _Orange?_ She looked down at the flowers in her arms. Sure enough, one of the bouquets consisted of orange and red flowers. "Mr. Moto, what did this man look like?"

Mr. Moto closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Hmmm…. I can't remember a lot about him, but two features really stood out to me."

"And what were those features?" asked Temari, desperately wanting to discover who bought all these flowers.

"Well, this man had very blue eyes. He also had a shock of blonde hair that no one could miss."

Temari's eyes widened. _Naruto!?_ She couldn't believe it. Not only had Naruto taken her home and put her in her bed, but he had also thought to purchase funeral flowers for her to use. _Just who exactly is Naruto Uzumaki?_ she wondered, _and why has he done so much for me?_ Then his words went through her mind again. _'I'm sorry for everything you have had to go through…_ _As long as I'm here, you don't have to be alone.'_

"Miss Temari?" She could tell that Mr. Moto was worried about her. She had no idea how long she had been standing there trapped in thought. She managed to pull herself together and thank the shopkeeper for giving her that information. Then she sped out of the shop.

 _I need to talk to Naruto. If I don't, I might go crazy._

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New chapter complete! I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter in All Alone. Please let me know if there is anything I can improve or if you think that something could benefit the story in any way.


	4. Chapter 4

**All Alone**

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Sorry for the long hiatus! I am finally back with Chapter 4. I am very sorry that it took me so long get this chapter up, but I hadn't forgotten about it. My life got so busy, that I just had to put this on the backburner for a while. Honestly, I am iffy on how this chapter will go. I feel that it is good, but something keeps nagging at me that I need to fix it, I just don't know what. Please review and let me know your honest opinion on it.

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 **Chapter 4**

Gaara's funeral seemed to fly by to Temari. The whole village came and gave their respects to their fallen kazekage. Temari felt numb throughout the entire funeral. Even when Baki came by to console her, she felt nothing. All the tears she had shed had left her dry and empty inside. When it was her turn to place flowers on the grave, she didn't know what to say. She knew she had to say something, but the words wouldn't come to her. Nothing she said would change what had happened.

Temari finally began to speak. "Gaara, I wish I could have been stronger to protect you." As she spoke these words, it began to rain. She looked up at the dark sky. _The first rain in three months._ She looked back down at the grave. "I wish I could have been a better sister." After speaking these words, she laid her flowers on the grave. "These next flowers are from Naruto Uzumaki. He couldn't be here, but he wanted me to give you these in his place. I don't know much about your relationship to him, but he seemed to care a lot about you." She laid Naruto's flowers beside hers. Stepping away from the grave, she took one last look at where Gaara now lay. It was the most ornate grave of all the kazekages'. Sensing that more tears were imminent, she turned away and headed home. That night she cried herself to sleep.

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A week had gone by, and Temari was still in anguish over the death of Gaara. No one's death had ever affected her this badly, not even her mother's. Each night she tossed and turned from the ache in her heart. She longed for someone to comfort her yet wanted no one around. Whenever she started feeling this way, she couldn't help but remember Naruto holding her in his arms while she wept over Gaara. It seemed that the thought of Naruto was the only thing that could calm her down. _I have to find Naruto and speak with him again._ After thinking this, she would always be able to fall asleep.

It wasn't long before the village higher-ups wanted her to continue working as an ambassador between Sunagakure and Konohagakure. Reluctantly, she continued her duties and headed towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Her only thought was that she might have a chance to speak with Naruto.

It takes three days to travel to Konoha from Suna. Now that she was working again, her mind finally quit focusing on Gaara's death. She hadn't forgotten, but she was finally able to go to sleep like normal and think of him without instantly starting to tear up. Upon arriving at the Hidden Leaf Village, Temari was ready to relax in one of Konoha's nice hot spring baths. Before that, she had to report to Tsunade, the hokage, and discover the whereabouts of Naruto.

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"That is all that I have to report Lady Hokage," finished Temari.

"Thank you, Miss Temari," spoke Tsunade. "Please enjoy all Konoha has to offer while you are here."

Temari turned to leave, then thought of something. "Lady Tsunade, may I ask you a question?"

Puzzled, Tsunade responded, "Ask away."

Gathering her courage, Temari asked, "Do you happen to know where I might be able to find Naruto Uzumaki."

Now even more confused, Tsunade said, "He is currently on a mission. There is no specific arrival date, so I do not know when he will be back."

"I see," responded a now slightly depressed Temari. "Thank you." Then she walked out of the hokage's office.

 _What on earth has Naruto done now?_ pondered Tsunade. _Hopefully nothing to jeopardize relations with the Sand. It's always something with that boy.  
_

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After exiting the hokage's office, Temari headed towards the hot springs to clear her mind. On the way there she bumped into Shikamaru.

"Hey Temari, how are you doing?"

Temari became very angry and annoyed at Shikamaru. _How am I doing? My brothers just recently died, and that is the first thing you ask me!_ "I'm fine," she replied rather rudely and kept on walking towards the hot springs.

Shikamaru watched her leave. _What's her problem? Women can be such a drag._

* * *

Temari eased herself into the warm water of the hot springs bath. _Aaaaahhh… Amazing! This bath is so relaxing._ She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. How nice it was to sit down and relax after the past couple of weeks. Her mind drifted to today's events. _How am I ever going to get in touch with Naruto?_ _If he is on a mission, who knows when he will get back._ Temari remembered that she would only be in Konoha for a week before she had to go back home. She stayed in the bath for thirty more minutes before getting out. After getting dressed, she headed for the inn that the hokage had rented a room for her.

The inn was near the hokage mansion. This made it easier for Temari to attend any meetings and accomplish all of her tasks as ambassador. Once she had been shown her room and settled down inside, she got ready for bed. It had been a long journey to the Leaf Village, and she was ready to rest. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes. _Maybe I can glean some information on Naruto tomorrow during my assignments._ Shortly after she fell asleep.

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The next week came and went with Temari learning nothing about Naruto. She was so consumed with her tasks, that she barely had any time to think, let alone ask around for information. With the Akatsuki on the loose, there was a lot more business than usual. Naruto still had not come back, so she gave up hope of meeting him this time. She vowed that the next time she came to Konoha, she would definitely talk with him.

After packing up her belongings, she left the inn and headed for the main gate of the village. It was a beautiful morning. Since she had decided to leave in the early hours of the day, no one was on the road. As she continued on her way, the sun started reflecting off of the morning dew. _Konoha is so different from back home. Everywhere you look there is flowers and trees._ _This could never happen in my village. None of these plants would even grow there._ Temari thought Konoha had a breathtaking view. Normally, she is too busy to enjoy the sights of the village, but when she leaves, she makes sure to soak in all the beautiful sights she can't see back home.

When Temari reached the gate, a strange feeling overcame her. She wasn't sure why, but she felt as though the next time she came here, something awful was going to happen. Taking one last look at the beautiful early morning Konoha, she headed towards home. The feeling in her gut didn't leave until she had finally reached home.

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I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. There isn't quite as much going on, so hopefully it was still interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

**All Alone**

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Hey everyone! I am back again. I hope you like this chapter. It took me quite a while to complete, and I am still unsure whether or not I did it full justice. There is a decent time skip here, but according to the Naruto timeline I found, it is accurate. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Please let me know if it was good, or if there is anything I need to improve on. Enjoy chapter 5!

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Nearly a year had gone by since Temari had seen Naruto. She had been to Konoha several times, but each time he was away on missions. Having heard of several of Naruto's exploits from various sources, she wanted nothing more than to meet up with him again. _What am I going to say to him? Will he even remember what he did for me?_ These thoughts went through her mind daily. Not being used to such things, Temari considered such thoughts as a weakness for a kunoichi. Nevertheless, she couldn't remove them from her mind. It seemed that the more she tried to extract any thoughts of Naruto from her mind, she only thought of him more.

Then came the news that Jiraiya, one of Konoha's legendary Sannin, had been killed by the Akatsuki. All the villages were shocked by the news. Everyone knew that Jiraiya was a very powerful and skilled ninja. Within a couple of weeks of hearing the news, Sunagakure began making plans to send an ambassador to Konoha to discuss the Akatsuki and to develop new strategies to stop them. After a week of discussion, the Suna council had formed all its plans and were ready to send a messenger. Temari knew this could be her chance to see Naruto, so she volunteered to go to Konoha.

* * *

The next morning, Temari set off towards the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The same awful feeling she had the year prior had come back. The closer she got to Konoha, the more she was filled with trepidation. It was as if a bad omen were hanging over her. The first night in the wilderness she tossed and turned. She had nightmares of people getting slaughtered by an unknown enemy. Each time, the dream would end with Naruto about to get killed, then she would wake up and jolt upright. _I need to get to Konoha as fast as I can. Something wrong._

The next day, Temari doubled her efforts on getting to her destination. She had made record time and was only about a day's journey to Konoha before she settled down, quite tired, for the night. Again, the nightmares plagued her. She wasn't one to believe in superstition, but even she had to acknowledge that something of this nature couldn't be coincidence. Determining to wake up early, Temari finally got some sleep without any nightmares.

* * *

Temari woke with a start. The sun was already halfway up, and all the dew was gone. _Oh no!_ she panicked. _I overslept!_ She vowed that she would never forgive herself for this. While packing up her camp as quickly as she could, that horrible feeling she had kept getting worse. When she was done, she took off at full speed towards the Leaf village.

Upon nearing the village, something seemed off to her. She stopped to observe her surroundings. The air around her felt cool with a certain tightness to it. There wasn't any movement in the forest, nor was there any sound. Temari couldn't see any signs of life anywhere, and she felt like she would throw up at any minute. _What has happened? Am I too late?_ The feeling in her gut intensified, and the ground seemed to be moving beneath her. _Get a hold of yourself Temari!_ she told herself. _Everything is going to be all right. Naruto isn't in any…_ Her thoughts trailed off. "I have to get to the village now!" she cried aloud. She took one last look around, then she sped off.

* * *

When she finally arrived at Konoha, the entire forest surrounding the village was covered with dust. She didn't see any guards, and she couldn't her anyone. Even though it was against protocol to enter a foreign village any way except the front gate, she felt that this was different. She unlatched her fan from the strap on her back. Temari reared back and sent a current of air towards the top of the village wall and rode her fan all the way. What she saw upon reaching the top left her in utter disbelief.

The village was gone! All that was left was a huge crater in the center of the village. Upon closer inspection, she could see that remnants of buildings and trees had been pushed right into the walls of the village. The only thing marking that she was indeed in Konoha was the Kage faces carved into the mountain on the far end of the village. _I must be dreaming. There is no way this is happening!_ Suddenly, she heard what she thought sounded like fighting near the crater. She strained her eyes to see through all the dust and debris in the air, but to no avail. She was about to head down to find out, when a voice cried out, "Stop!"

Startled, Temari looked around until she spotted a large slug making its way toward her. "Stop!" it cried again.

Realizing that the slug must be someone's summoning animal, Temari spoke, "Who are you, and what has happened here? Who did this?"

The slug stopped its advance. "I am Katsuyu, a summoning beast of Lady Tsunade, the fifth Hokage."

 _Tsunade!_ "Where is the Hokage right now?"

"I am afraid that Lady Tsunade will not be able to speak with you right now. What you see before you is what one member of the Akatsuki did. Lady Tsunade did everything she could to save all the villagers by healing them through several clones of myself, but now she is in a coma from exerting all of her chakra."

 _A single member of the Akatsuki did this!_ Temari thought back to when members of that accursed organization killed her brothers. It made her stomach churn with anger. "Where is that Akatsuki member now?" questioned Temari.

"Pain, the Akatsuki member responsible for this, is currently in a battle with Naruto Uzumaki."

 _NARUTO! What on earth can he do against someone capable of blowing away an entire village? Is he crazy?!_

"Naruto has asked everyone to stay out of his fight with Pain so that no one else gets hurt."

"How can he take on such a powerful-" Temari was cut off mid-sentence when a giant toad flew over them and landed somewhere outside of the village. Shocked, Temari looked toward where the toad had come from. Most of the dust and debris had been blown away, and she could finally see the fight she had been hearing.

She was in awe at the scene that lay before her. Naruto Uzumaki was fighting two members of the Akatsuki with the assistance of two small toads. She could make out four corpses on the ground near them, all wearing Akatuski robes. _Just how strong is Naruto?_

She turned back to the slug. "Katsuyu, are there any survivors?"

"There are many people that made it through Pain's attack thanks to Lady Tsunade."

"Can you take me to help with the recovery efforts?" Temari knew that she wouldn't be of any help to Naruto, but she wanted to be of some use to him.

"Unfortunately, no one is in good enough condition to even form a recovery unit. The only healer we have left that is not majorly injured is Sakura Haruno. She isn't too far from here. Would you like me to take you to her?"

Temari remembered that Sakura was the one that had made an antidote for Sasori's poison. She had arrived a day too late, and Kankuro passed away before she could administer it. "Yes. Take me to her."

* * *

"Sakura!"

"Temari?" The last person Sakura expected to see was someone from another village. "What are you doing here? It's not safe."

"I came on official business from Suna, but it looks like that will have to wait. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Right now we have to wait for Naruto to defeat Pain before we can launch any form of recovery efforts."

Temari heard a loud shout and looked back at the fight. Her stomach lurched when her eyes befell the current state of the fight. One of the small toads was now laying dead, and Naruto was pinned to the ground with several black rods.

Temari panicked. _I have to save him! I can't let him die like Gaara!_ Temari didn't know why, but she felt that if Naruto died, she would have nothing left. Suddenly, her body began to move all on its own. She reached around her back and whipped out her fan. She was just about to swing it back when Sakura grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?" demanded Sakura.

"I have to go rescue Naruto!"

"You can't Temari!" shouted Sakura. "Look around you. The last Pain you see down there is the one that destroyed my village. What can you do to save Naruto?"

Temari could see tears rolling down Sakura's face. She didn't know her relationship to Naruto, but she knew that Sakura must be close to him.

"I have to do something. I don't know what, but he needs help!"

Temari wrenched her arm free and tried to swing her fan, only to be stopped short again. This time, Katsuyu had engulfed Temari's body inside of her own. Temari struggled as hard as she could but couldn't break free.

"Let me go! I have to help Naruto!"

"You will die if you go down there. I cannot allow anyone to recklessly get killed in Lady Tsunade's absence."

Temari looked back at the fight. Then she saw a figure launch from out of the debris somewhere close by. It was headed straight towards Naruto. When the shadow finally broke through the dust, Temari could tell that it was a person. _Is that Hinata Hyuuga, from the Chunin Exams?_

"What is Hinata doing?!" sought Sakura. "Doesn't she know that she'll only get killed!"

When Hinata made it to Naruto, she tried to remove the rods that were impaled in his body, but Pain sent her shooting away with a flick of his finger. Hinata struggled to get on her feet. Then she started to attack Pain with all her might. The Akatsuki member easily dodged all her attempts. Then he shot her high into the air. She came crashing back down full force into the ground. Once she had hit the ground, Pain moved over to her body and pulled out a long black rod, aimed it at her heart, and thrust it as hard as he could.

Temari was speechless. _Hinata is dead!_ The air began to get hot and thick. It was hard for Temari to breathe. Suddenly, a huge explosion came from where Naruto lay. Some form of red bloodlike matter shot into the sky. Where Naruto had just been was now completely encased in the same bloody substance.

A shock went through Temari's spine. She was mortified. Her body was shaking uncontrollably, and she was frozen in place. Temari hadn't felt such fear since the last time she saw Gaara turn into a tailed beast. _What is happening to Naruto!?_

The bloody mass finally disappeared, and what it left behind frightened her very core. What once had been Naruto, was now a bloody demon fox with six tails. Bones protruded out of it and formed a spine, legs, and a fox skull over Naruto's body.

Barely believing what she was witnessing, Temari spoke aloud, "Naruto, just what on earth are you?"

* * *

I hope that I did this scene justice. It was hard for me to describe exactly what I wanted to convey. Please let me know if you enjoyed this new chapter, or if there is anything that you think would improve the story.


	6. Chapter 6

**All Alone**

* * *

Whew! What a ride it has been! This semester at my college was extremely busy. If I wasn't working on homework, I was busy doing some other kind of work. I had no intention of taking such a long break away from the story, but here I am! Hopefully this is the next chapter you have been waiting for. As always, please let me know if there is anything that could improve my writing abilities or the story. Enjoy chapter 6!

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

"Naruto, what on earth are you?"

Temari could only stare at the hellish demon Naruto had become. The being before her bore no resemblance to the gentle ninja she knew. _Is that really him?_ The ninja she had desperately wanted to talk to, now seemed nonexistent. She wanted to look away, to turn her head from the gruesome creature; but her body wouldn't allow it. _What on earth has he been through?_ Temari's heart began to ache. Then she remembered what he said after Gaara died: _"It hurts doesn't it? The feeling of loneliness. It's like you are bearing the weight of the world on your shoulders. You try to cry out for help, but no one is there to help because you are alone. That pain makes you want to die so you can be free from the burden you are carrying."_ Temari felt something wet on her face. She touched her cheek, only to realize tears were streaming down. _Oh Naruto! Is this why you said that? Was it really_ _ **you**_ _that never had anyone all along?_

As Temari stood watching, green chakra started flowing around the demon fox. It cried out, seemingly in pain. Reaching for its chest, the demon pulled out a necklace and crushed it; the green chakra dissappeared, and it let out a demonic roar. For a second, the fox eyed its opponent. Suddenly, the demon vanished and Pain was sent flying. _What just happened? It was so quick I couldn't see!_

The demon began gathering bloody particles into a ball around its mouth. Just before it seemed finished, a massive boulder slammed down on top of it, creating the biggest explosion Temari had ever seen.

"NARUTO!" It was all Temari could do to not run out into the fray. _Please don't be dead!_ As she thought this, the boulder started crumbling apart. The demon, seemingly unscathed, looked as if it would tear Pain apart. _Thank God he's all right!_

The two enemies eyed each other. Without warning, Pain took off in a direction away from the village. The demon fox sprinted off after him. Temari finally felt the air begin to lighten. Able to move again, Temari turned around and looked at Sakura.

Sakura's face was white as a sheet, and she was breathing extremely heavily. Determined to find out exactly what she had just seen, Temari posed a question: "What just happened to Naruto?"

* * *

"Because… I love you!"

Naruto had never heard these words before. It pricked him in his heart. How he had always longed for someone to care for him, to acknowledge him. Just to hear someone say those words and mean it. Time seemed to stop for Naruto altogether. He couldn't quite describe how he felt.

Before he could say a word, Pain raised his arm and sent Hinata flying into the air. To Naruto, she seemed to slowly float into the sky. She levitated for what seemed like an eternity. Then, Pain thrust his arm downwards. Naruto could only watch in horror as Hinata's body impacted the earth hard enough to create a crater. Mouth agape, Naruto watched as Pain appeared at Hinata's side. A black rod akin to those pinning Naruto to the ground protruded out of Pain's cloak. Pain reared back. Naruto's eyes widened. _SHUK!_

Naruto's mind went blank. He no longer cared about anything. He gave himself fully over to the hatred welling up within him.

* * *

"What just happened to Naruto?" Temari asked again. An extremely disturbed Sakura finally looked up.

"N..Nine-Tails…," Sakura managed to mumble.

"Nine-Tails? What do you mean?"

Gaining her composure, Sakura began telling Temari about the demon within Naruto. "Naruto has the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him. Whenever he lets his anger consume him, he loses control of the tailed beast."

Immediately, an image of Gaara flashed through her mind. _Now it all makes sense!_ she thought to herself. _How could I have been so stupid as to not realize what was going on?_ Temari finally understood why Naruto cared so much about Gaara. _They are the same!_

She began imagining just how Naruto had been treated during his whole life. _How is he such a strong and happy person?_ From her experience with Gaara, Temari knew that Naruto had every right to hate the villagers; and yet, he was fighting to save them. _Why would he go to such lengths?_ Temari also didn't know what kind of relationship Naruto had with Hinata. All she knew was Hinata's death was the catalyst for the beast that is now Naruto.

While Temari was deep in thought, a giant meteor began forming in the sky a few miles outside of the village.

* * *

Naruto came to his senses. Opening his eyes, he surveyed his surroundings. Everything was dark except for a tall golden gate. Red chakra was seeping out between the bars of the gate. He could hear deep breathing from the other side.

Naruto began remembering what had happened. Sinking to his knees, he began sobbing. A low, rumbling voice resounded from the other side of the gate, "You are weak! If you give yourself to me, I will make it all go away. I will kill the one that did this to you."

Naruto looked up and saw a devilish fox eyeing him from the gate. Consumed by hopelessness, Naruto began approaching the gate. The front of his jacket ripped open, revealing the seal that held the Nine-Tails captive. As Naruto trudged ever closer, the seal began oozing away. The closer he got, the more the seal leaked. He no longer cared. His life. His dreams. His beliefs. All were in vain. His vision began to blur. His movements became groggy. _Soon it will be over….._

He was now standing directly in front of the gate. "Now," the voice began, "all you have to do is remove the seal on this gate, and I will take care of all your problems." Water began to lift Naruto up to the seal. The closer he got, the more he felt an increasing weight in his chest. The sadness wouldn't go away.

He was now eye level with the seal. Slowly, he stretched forth his hand. He curled his fingers around the top of the seal. Just as he began to pull the seal off the gate, something grabbed his arm and drug him down to the ground. Shocked, Naruto looked up at his assailant. He couldn't believe his eyes. The man standing in front of him bore the same likeness as the face of the fourth hokage that was carved into the mountain in Konoha.

"Wh…Who are you?"

* * *

"What is that?" Temari looked to where Sakura was pointing. A massive meteor was floating in the sky. _Is this the power of Pain?_ Temari didn't know what to do. She wanted to help Naruto, but she knew she would only get in the way and cause more grief for him. _I must be able to do something!_ Naruto was there for her in her time of need. And yet, when he needs help the most, she is powerless to help. _Why am I always like this? I am always too late and useless when people need me the most!_

"Sakura, isn't there anything we can do?" Being an outsider, Temari figured someone from Konoha would have some idea of what could be done.

"All we can do now is trust in Naruto to defeat Pain."

 _All we can do….._ "There has to be something, anything!" Temari was almost shouting when she spoke. Sakura was shocked at Temari's reaction. Why should Temari even care? She wasn't from the village.

"If you really want to help Naruto, the best thing would be to stay out of his way. He would want us to treat the wounded here in Konoha before anything else." Sakura could tell by the look in Temari's eyes that she hadn't given up the thought of chasing after Naruto. "I know it looks bad, but I believe Naruto will pull it off. He already defeated the other five pains, so I know he can beat the last one."

Still unsure of what to do, Temari relented and decided to help treat the wounded of Konoha. Sakura asked Katsuyu to relay a message to everyone to help search for survivors of the battle. She also created a rendezvous point for every able-bodied medic ninja to meet at. Everyone was to bring any wounded to the same place.

The first person Temari went to check on was Hinata. She flew down to the girl to see if there was any chance she was alive. When she arrived, she knew immediately that Hinata was not among the living. Her corpse was crushed into the earth. Body parts were sticking out in sickening places and angles, and a single hole had been gouged straight through her heart.

 _Oh Hinata… I don't know what you meant to Naruto, but I'll do my best to see that you are properly taken care of._

Carefully, Temari extracted Hinata from the hole in the ground. She gingerly laid the girl across her fan and took a smaller fan out of her pouch. With it, she made an air current that carried her and Hinata into the air. The wind took them both back to the medical ninjas. When Sakura saw Hinata, a look of horror flashed across her face before quickly reverting back to medical ninja mode.

"Thank you for taking care of Hinata, Temari. I will make sure she is given proper treatment." Then Sakura ordered some medical ninjas to carry Hinata away. Temari watched as they carried her off. Pushing any feelings of sadness away, Temari continued searching for the injured.

Using her fan, Temari scouted from the sky. If she found someone, she would glide down to investigate. If they were dead, she would take them to a safe place to be buried. If they were alive, she would take them to the temporary medical ninja camp.

In between delivering patients to the medical ninjas, many of the injured people voiced their concern of Naruto. Everyone wanted to know if he was okay, or if he had defeated Pain yet. It seemed as if every villager truly seemed to care about his well-being.

 _What is going on? Why do these people care and respect Naruto so much? All the sand villagers hated Gaara simply because he was a Jinchuuriki, but these villagers seem to not even care that he is a tailed-beast vessel._

Temari was extremely confused. She didn't know why they cared so much about Naruto. It made her want to talk to him even more.

After a while, Temari had scoured the entire village by air. If anyone was left, they were crushed to death by Pain's jutsu. Only sensory type ninjas would find them. She swung her fan around and headed back towards the rendezvous point. On her way there, she surveyed the landscape below her. Crushed buildings, trees, and chunks of earth were piled up against the walls of Konoha. The dust from the explosion had finally dissipated, and the crater in the center of the village was fully visible. Debris was scattered across the village. The great stone faces of the past hokages seemed to weep as the looked at their once thriving village. Temari thought back to a year ago when she had left the village. _Will I ever see the beautiful trees and plants again or take a relaxing bath in the hot springs?_ The thought of what the village used to be and the shell it had become saddened her.

She looked back towards the giant meteor that was floating in the sky and noticed that it was falling apart. _I hope Naruto is alright._

Upon arriving at the camp, Temari noticed several people running around. Some were gathering supplies and help, while others carried patients to and fro. Everything was operating like a well-oiled machine. So that she didn't get in the way, Temari stuck to the outskirts of the camp and helped whenever she could.

Her mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts and emotions. Worst of all, she kept remembering Naruto's words: _"I'm sorry for everything you have had to go through. As long as I'm here, you don't have to be alone."_ No matter what she did, they continued flowing through her mind, haunting her. Visions of Naruto suffering alone swept through her mind. She couldn't help but feel that deep inside, Naruto was harboring all sorts of pain and grief.

She wanted to be there for him when he returned. _If nothing else, at least he won't have to suffer alone; I will make sure of that._

Without warning, green lights started pouring into the village. Each light entered into one of the dead corpses being prepared for burial.

 _What is going on?!_ The lights continued to rain down on the village for another thirty seconds, before vanishing just as quickly as they came.

Everyone rushed to the bodies to see what had happened. Suddenly, half of the people presumed to be dead began to move. Cheers rang out. "HE DID IT! NARUTO BEAT PAIN!" As the once dead began to reunite with loved ones, Temari was bewildered. None had ever heard of the dead coming back to life, let alone thousands at the same time. _Hinata!_

Temari sprinted to the main part of the camp that Sakura was in control of. Finding Sakura, she frantically asked, "Where is Hinata?! Is she okay?"

Sakura looked confused. She pointed to the far side of the camp, "Over there, but why do you need to know?"

"After those green lights entered the village, a bunch of the dead came back to life!"

Amazed, Sakura asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Go check it out for yourself!" With that, Temari left Sakura behind and sprinted in the direction of Hinata. _Please be alive!_

As she neared where Hinata lay, a feeling of dread overcame her. The closer she got, she knew something was wrong. No one was excited or running about. Arriving at the tent Hinata was being taken care of, Temari's fears were confirmed. There Hinata lay, as still as a statue. Her lifeless corpse seemed like it could jump up at any time, but it never would. The medical team had fixed Hinata's body so that it would look normal. However, even though the dead were coming back to life, Hinata wasn't. Later, Temari would discover that not everyone who died came back to life.

Tears began to form in her eyes. _Why am I crying? I barely even knew her._ Temari slowly walked away from the tent and began to make her way back to the cheering crowd. On her way, she ran into Sakura.

"How is…" Sakura stopped short of her question. One look at Temari and she knew that Hinata was still among the dead. "Oh…." Sakura didn't know what to say, so she kept heading towards Hinata's tent.

As Sakura left, sadness began gripping Temari's heart. All she wanted was to meet with Naruto and be with him.

 _I hope Naruto is okay…_

* * *

"This is all I can do to fix the evil I have wrought upon your village." Nagato clasped his hands together. His hair began to whiten; his body aged seemed to age thirty years.

"What's going on?" Naruto demanded.

"The Rinne Rebirth Jutsu," answered Konan. "It is a jutsu that revives the dead in exchange for the user's life."

She looked extremely sad to Naruto. "Why would you do this?" he questioned.

"Naruto," began Nagato, "you made me realize that I have been a fool. I am leaving the future in your hands. With my last breaths of life, I will try to right my wrongs. I won't be able to revive everyone, but at least I will have saved most of them."

Stunned, Naruto stared at Nagato. "Thank you. It means more to me than you can imagine."

Nagato smiled and looked up towards the heavens. "I wonder if Master Jiraiya is smiling on me right now."

Nagato's hands lowered to his side, and his head bowed forward. He was no more.

* * *

"Amen."

Konan placed paper flowers on the grave before her. "Naruto, I am on your side now. If the Leaf or you should ever need me, do not hesitate to call."

"Are you sure this is okay?" asked Naruto.

"I am positive. Nagato left the future in your hands. I fully trust in Nagato. Please bring honor to him and fulfill your promise of world peace."

"Don't worry. I will make it happen. I'm not sure how yet, but I know that I can make it happen."

Konan smiled. "Thank you, Naruto." She placed a beautiful bouquet of flowers into Naruto's arms. "Thank you for helping Nagato to remember his true self."

After speaking those words, Konan walked off into the woods. Naruto watched her until she was out of sight. Then he placed his flowers on Nagato's grave and headed back towards the village.

Naruto was exhausted. He had been through so much. His steps became slowed, and he wavered from side to side. Just as he was starting to fall forward, someone appeared and caught him. Naruto looked up at his catcher and instantly recognized him. "Kakashi Sensei, I did it." Barely finishing his sentence, Naruto collapsed into Kakashi's arms and fell asleep.

"Get some rest Naruto. You've earned it."

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed chapter 6. I tried to employ a different style by inserting different segments of Naruto's point of view. I didn't go into the fight in full detail though. If someone hasn't seen the fight between Naruto and Pain, then a quick search will show you what you need to know. I left in the important parts that will impact the story. I hope this new chapter was everything that you have been waiting for. Please let me know if you enjoyed it. Also, if you have any sort of critiques, I would love to hear them. Anything that can improve my writing skills is much appreciated. Until next time!


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